Visu's teaching schedule 2019

May 10 to 18 (nine days): Metta (Lovingkindness) and Vipassana (Insight-Mindfulness) Retreat at Pauenhof Meditation Centre (www.pauenhof.de); Sonsbeck Hamb, Germany; Language: English with translation into German. It is also possible to come for a weekend from May 10 to 12 or for any number of days.

July 19 to 27 (nine days): Metta Retreat, Passaddhi Meditation Centre (www.passaddhi.com), Leitrim Beg, Adrigole, Ireland. Contact Marjo at marjo.metta@gmail.com. (Please note that while this is an intensive metta retreat, there will also be a little introduction to vipassana [insight-mindfulness] practice.)

July 27 to Aug 4 (nine days): Vipassana Retreat, Passaddhi Meditation Centre (www.passaddhi.com), Leitrim Beg, Ireland. Contact Marjo at marjo.metta@gmail.com. (Please note that while this is an intensive vipassana retreat, we will begin the first sitting in the morning with metta (lovingkindness) practice which is an excellent way to start off the day.)

Sept 6 to 14 (nine days): Metta (Lovingkindness) and Vipassana (Insight-Mindfulness) Retreat at Pauenhof Meditation Centre (www.pauenhof.de); Sonsbeck Hamb, Germany; Language: English with translation into German. It is also possible to come for a weekend from Sept 6 to 8 or for any number of days.

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Information on Lovingkindness and Mindfulness retreat

When lovingkindness and mindfulness are strongly cultivated and developed, they bring about a remarkable transformation of our mind and heart and consequently a big positive change in our relationship and approach to life.

One needs the other. Without the life-nourishing moisture of lovingkindness, mindfulness becomes dry, impersonal and disconnected from beings. Lovingkindness puts the heartfulness into mindfulness. It uplifts and gladdens the heart.

On the other hand, without the rational and objective support of mindfulness, lovingkindness can become unbalanced and not directed in the most skilful and effective way. Mindfulness is the soil that nourishes wisdom which, in turn, informs all aspects of our life.

Mindfulness and lovingkindness are complementary practices. One supports and enhances the other. They are both desirable and indispensable in our life.

In this retreat, Visu Teoh will guide us in the practice of both lovingkindness and mindfulness. We will gain a strong understanding and appreciation of these two important mental qualities which we will then be able to apply in our everyday life.

In addition, Visu will introduce us to the three other sublime practices of Compassion (Karuna), Appreciative Joy (Mudita) and Equanimity (Upekkha) which together with Lovingkindness (Metta) make up what the Buddha called The Four Sublime Abidings (Brahmavihara).

We will spend our retreat in noble silence, alternating between sitting and walking meditation. There will be a daily evening Dhamma Talk and a daily personal interview with the teacher.

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Information on

The Four Divine Abidings and Vipassana Retreat

There are, in addition to mindfulness, four wonderful and important mental qualities that we need to cultivate in everyday life. These are lovingkindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity.

The Buddha described these four qualities as “divine abidings” (Brahma-Vihara) because they represent a divine, noble or sublime way of living.

Besides Vipassana (Insight) meditation, the Buddha taught the Four Divine Abidings meditation as a practice in their own right. These qualities will transform our life, beautifying and ennobling our mind and heart.

In this retreat, we will cultivate these four noble and sublime mental factors. We will repeatedly bring them to mind, make them a habit and a natural part of our life

Lovingkindness (Metta) meditation is the radiating of goodwill and friendliness towards all beings, harbouring ill will towards none. It is the antidote to hatred and anger.

Compassion (Karuna) meditation is generating a heart of compassion, wishing for all beings to be free from suffering. It is the antidote to cruelty.

Appreciative Joy (Mudita) meditation is reflecting on and rejoicing over the many blessings in our life that we often overlook or take for granted and rejoicing over the blessings and good fortune of others. It is the antidote to envy and jealousy.

Equanimity (Upekkha) Meditation is the cultivation of a strong and steady mind that is unruffled and unfazed by the ups and downs of life. It is the antidote to mental agitation and disquiet.

Visu Teoh will guide us through these four practices and lead us to our true home which is the constant or frequent dwelling in these four divine states of mind.

In addition, Visu will introduce some Vipassana meditation so that our practice will be holistic and complete. Vipassana is the application of mindfulness to observe our body and mind in order to see their true nature or things as they are.

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Visu's teaching schedule 2018

May 11 to 19 (nine days): Metta (Lovingkindness) and Vipassana (Insight-Mindfulness) Retreat at Pauenhof Meditation Centre (www.pauenhof.de); Sonsbeck Hamb, Germany; Language: English with translation into German. It is also possible to come for a weekend from May 11 to 13 or for any number of days.

July 27 to Aug 4 (nine days): Metta Retreat, Passaddhi Meditation Centre (www.passaddhi.com), Leitrim Beg, Adrigole, Ireland. Contact Marjo at marjo.metta@gmail.com. (Please note that while this is an intensive metta retreat, there will also be a little introduction to vipassana [insight-mindfulness] practice.)

Aug 4 to 12 (nine days): Vipassana Retreat, Passaddhi Meditation Centre (www.passaddhi.com), Leitrim Beg, Ireland. Contact Marjo at marjo.metta@gmail.com. (Please note that while this is an intensive vipassana retreat, we will begin the first sitting in the morning with metta (lovingkindness) practice which is an excellent way to start off the day.)

Sept 21 to 29 (nine days): Metta (Lovingkindness) and Vipassana (Insight-Mindfulness) Retreat at Pauenhof Meditation Centre (www.pauenhof.de); Sonsbeck Hamb, Germany; Language: English with translation into German. It is also possible to come for a weekend from Sept 21 to 23 or for any number of days.

Visu's teaching schedule 2017

May 4 to 14 (11 days): Metta (Lovingkindness) and Mindfulness Retreat at Pauenhof Meditation Centre (www.pauenhof.de); Sonsbeck Hamb, Germany; Language: English with translation into German. It is also possible to come for a weekend from May 4 to 7 or from May 11 to 14.

May 16, 17 (two days): Metta (Lovingkindness) and Mindfulness Retreat at Neuss, Germany (contact Audrey at audreymilstein@hotmail.de) Language: English with translation into German.

July 21 to 29 (nine days): Metta Retreat, Passaddhi Meditation Centre (www.passaddhi.com), Leitrim Beg, Adrigole, Ireland. Contact Marjo at marjo.metta@gmail.com. (Please note that while this is an intensive metta retreat, there will also be a little introduction to vipassana [insight-mindfulness] practice.)

July 29 to Aug 6 (nine days): Vipassana Retreat, Passaddhi Meditation Centre (www.passaddhi.com), Leitrim Beg, Ireland. Contact Marjo at marjo.metta@gmail.com. (Please note that while this is an intensive vipassana retreat, we will begin the first sitting in the morning with metta (lovingkindness) practice which is an excellent way to start off the day.)

Aug 25 to 27: Metta and Vipassana weekend in Litomerice, Czech Republic. (email Julie Honysova at julhonysova@volny.cz.) Language: English with translation into Czech.

Sept 7 to 17 (11 days): Metta (Lovingkindness) and Mindfulness Retreat at Pauenhof Meditation Centre (www.pauenhof.de); Sonsbeck Hamb, Germany; Language: English with translation into German. It is also possible to come for a weekend from May 7 to 10 or from Sept 14 to 17.